New Chuck Yeager Film Needs Research on Irmfried Klotz and his FW-190 Crash Site

Ladies and Gentlemen,
My name is Joey Maddox (friend and student of Merle Olmsted) and I am the historical researcher working directly for the Yeagers and the director. Chuck and his wife are with the film crew in France and are trying to film Chuck at the crash site of Irmfried Klotz's FW-190. I have requested Obie O'Brien's encounter report for March 5, 1944 but until I receive it, a big mystery remains. If Obie filed the encounter as "damaged" and later changed it to "probable" after viewing his gun camera footage, no one in the squadron, including O'Brien, must have seen Klotz bail out and die. If anyone can help us solve this mystery or steer us to information that might lead to the crash site of the Butcher Bird, please let me know.

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Joey,

You should try to contact Gilles Collaveri, who is a member of this Forum and may have help you.

It was Gilles who found Yeager's P-51 that crashed nearby Toulouse...so he may have a glimpse of the Fw 190 crash site either.

Try to find him or wait him to contact you.

Adriano

OBS: By the way, any possible DATE for the new Yeager's movie? Is it a movie or a Documentary???

[edwest2]

Is the following of any use?

https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/irmfried-klotz/

Best,
Ed

[Frank Olynyk]

Joey,
My database shows the following for Obie O'Brien on March 5:

FW 190 prob: 8VCB/21; 357VCB/8-22; PER
FW 190 dam: 8VCB/19; 357VCB/3-14; PER

I have copies of the PER(s) and the VCB reports deep in my file system. If you PM me your email address I will fish them out and send them to you.

Frank,
Historian, American Fighter Aces Association.

[Frank Olynyk]

Joey,

I have Obie O'Brien's PERs for March 5, 1944. PM me with your email address, and I will send them to you.

Enjoy!

Frank.

Thanks Ed. I have read that and it contains Yeager's story but not much about the FW-190 or Klotz. The problem with the story is that Fuentes, who told Merle Olmsted all of this about the 190, left no documentation. Several 190s were shot down over that area on March 5, 1944 and I am trying to locate the correct aircraft, pilot, and crash site. A Group mate is quoted saying that it was a Long Nosed 190 that did Chuck in. I have also seen a picture of the recently recovered wiing of the supposed Klotz FW-190 being pulled from a levee. Any help on this would be appreciated as i have been tasked with the fact checking of this new film. Thanks, Jo

[Adriano Baumgartner]

https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/201...eroscopia.html

and

https://br.ulule.com/archeologie-aeroscopia/

https://aerocherche.fr/index.php/art...ces-d-un-mythe

[Adriano Baumgartner]

From Gilles's site:
Le Fw 190 (photo 19) qui abattit Chuck Yeager s’écrasa dans le champ d’une localité proche du site de crash de "Glamourus Glen". Le corps du pilote, dont le parachute ne s’était pas ouvert, fut retrouvé sous un sapin. Dans sa combinaison, des objets du quotidien furent découverts : une petite cuillère, la note d’une pharmacie de Châteauroux.

So, apparently Klotz managed to bail out, but his parachute did not open. We don't have a clue why it did not? Was he wounded when he bailed? Did he hit the tail of the plane? Was the parachute with a malfunction or was not 100% operational (folded up)? Questions we may not have answers...

Hope to see a movie about Chuck Yeager very soon...or a documentary....Congratulations to all involved in that "preservation of History"...My kid of 3, when age permit, will see that...be sure of this!

Adriano

[edwest2]

From an old thread:


Gilles -
There is a 2 Page Mission Report regarding your questions, including
statement from Capt. O'Brien.
Book - To War With The Yoxford Boys by Merle Olmsted Pages 57 , 58.
Imfried Klotz was FW190 Pilot. KIA when Chute Failed.
Note - French Historian Didier Fuentes Researched this Incident, located
Crash Sites of P-51 and FW190, verified Klotz as Pilot.
Mike

[Chris Goss]

Gilles is your man-he has found both crash sites. I will try to contact him